Advance Wars: Endgame
by RocketDarkness
Summary: The first AW fanfic ever, way back when the game first started out and Advance Wars Net was just beginning. Set after the epic Final Battle, Orange Star is finally restabilizing when a sudden turn of events occurs.
1. Chapter 1

_**Advance Wars: Endgame**  
Chapter 1  
**By RocketDarkness**  
_   
Sami stretched, yawning. Vacations were good. Vacations with friends were better. And vacations with friends after having defeated a psycho bent on taking over the world were best. Sure, it had been years since the combined might of all four armies had destroyed Sturm. However, the rewards were still being reaped. Currently they were on a mountain getaway, high in the Alara Range. Sliding her light blue shades back down, she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep. That is, until a volleyball smacked her in the face.  
"Sorry, Sami!" Max shouted, grinning nervously. No reply.   
"I think you killed her, Max."   
"Nonsense! I just conked her on the head, that's all!"  
"She's not moving"  
"You sure? I'm pretty sure I saw her arm twitch."  
"You gonna check her or what?"  
"I'm not going over there…she might kill me!"  
"She's not conscious."  
"She could be!"  
"Fine, I'll do it." Andy walked over to Sami's limp form, and tapped her on the shoulder. After receiving no response, he proceeded to poke her arm. "Max, I think we should take her inside the cabin for now. Come help me out."   
  
"Alright…" Max quickly came over, and picked her up in his muscular arms. "See, kid, this is what you should strive for when you're older: muscles mean lots in this world!" He grinned crookedly. That is, until he was punched in the gut by a very angry Sami. Max fell to one knee, gasping.  
"Do NOT touch me."   
"Sure…thing…gah!"   
"Oops. Did I hit him that hard?"  
"I'll get the ice water Sami, you stay here." Andy ran to the cabin, hoping in the short time he was gone they would calm down. When he returned, however, Max was still on the ground, holding his stomach. "Wow, Sami, you sure hit hard."   
"It's all in the element of surprise, Andy." Andy simply sat down to minister to Max, while Sami decided to go back inside. Sliding her glasses off, she stuck them onto her hip, with one of the ends holding them to her side.   
  
  
Sami glanced at her watch. Many hours had passed, and neither Andy nor Max had come back in. 'Max is probably trying to make Andy lift weights again…of course, knowing Andy, he would gladly go along with it. He and Max are best friends, practically.' She thought nothing of it, and simply went back to watching TV and slowly nibbling on a chocolate bar. However, many hours had gone by and they had not returned. Worried, she stayed up to keep watch for them. By ten, however, the sleep got to her and Sami collapsed into slumber.  
  
When she woke up, she quickly threw her large, orange flannel blanket off and went around the house in search of her missing friends. Peeking in through the beige hallway, she saw Andy and Max passed out in the game room; a board of Risk lay in the center, partially covered by Max's head. Tiny cannons were scattered across the room, and one of the dice was stuck up Andy's nose. Sami simply sighed. 'Boys will be boys.' She decided to start breakfast.  
  
Half an hour later, Sami took pancakes off the grill and omelets out of the frying pan. She had made enough for Max and Andy, but they weren't awake. Yet. Grinning devilishly, she grabbed a firecracker that Andy had left around when he was blowing up pinecones the other day, and dashed to their room. Max had rolled over, and had tiny green infantrymen from Risk stuck in his hair. Suppressing a laugh, she lit the tiny firecracker and put it down on the board, next to Max and Andy's ears.   
Andy and Max both jumped up in surprise, the die in Andy's nose shot across the room and made a dent in the wall. Max, meanwhile, ran around the room, convinced they were under attack.   
"You guys sure are gullible…." Sami said, laughing evilly.   
"That's just mean, Sami, I mean, I was—hey…. something smells good!" Andy quickly forgot about the practical joke and headed for the kitchen.   
"C'mon, Max, let's go eat."  
  
"Oh my GOD! WHAT HAPPENED TO THE KITCHEN!?"  
Andy grinned halfheartedly. "I guess I got a little carried away while eating…"  
"I'm pretty sure you're not supposed to eat apples with a fork. You agree, Sami?"  
"Nell's gonna go berserk on us for this!"  
"Oops."  
"Let's see how much oops helps you when you're in the hospital! Get over here, you little…!"  
"Run, Andy! I'll hold her back as long as I can!"  
  
"I thought vacations were supposed to be fun…" Sami moaned, sighing. "The entire time was like a big war…but worse…"  
"Eh, cheer up, Sami, we're home now, so don't be all wound up!" Max chirped in, having quite enjoyed his retreat. He did seem oddly perky, but Sami simply attributed it to the chocolate she let him have. Glancing out the window, she sighed in satisfaction. She, Sami, had helped to ensure the safety of this entire beautiful world. Sighing again, she simply watched the landscape pass by. Some time later, she was awakened by Max shaking her lightly.  
"Sami….Sami….we're home…" She opened her eyes, and saw Max's big grinning face. Grinning, she lightly pushed his face out of the way and strode into their quarters. She brushed herself off as she went. The nap had caused her green, baggy shorts and old white T-shirt to get wrinkled. As she made her way to the door, she was glad to be home. They had agreed years ago to share a very nice—and very large—condominium together. Pushing the white door open, she strode into their large living room. Quickly looking around, she found what she was looking for: her chocolate bowl. Striding over, she grabbed a few Hershey's Kisses from it, unwrapped them, and popped them in her mouth. Savoring the rich chocolate taste, she was unpleasantly interrupted by the ringing of their phone.   
"Andy! Get it!"  
"Alright…Hello? Hey Nell, how's it going?" He grinned widely. "You got a call from the cabin owners? How much is it going to cost to get the syrup stains out of the ceiling? And what about the omelet smeared on the rug? I see…" Andy blinked twice. "You want to speak to Sami? All right, just a sec…Sami! Get over here, Nell wants to yell—I mean, speak—to you!"  
Sami walked over cautiously, and lifted the phone up as if it were a bomb primed for detonation. She was right. "HOW COULD YOU POSSIBLY HAVE CAUSED SO MUCH DAMAGE IN THAT CABIN?! THEY'VE GOT A RED DIE STUCK IN THE WALL! I THOUGHT I COULD COUNT ON YOU TO KEEP THEM UNDER CONTROL! AND THIS ISN'T EVEN INCLUDING THE PHONE BILL YOU RACKED UP!"  
"Nell, wait a second. Phone? I'm sure I never used their phone, and I don't recall Max or Andy ever using it either. Are you sure there's a phone bill?"  
"Yes, and although we can't find exactly where the calls were directed to, there's at least a few phone calls that aren't even to Orange Star territory! You know how much it costs to phone internationally…."  
"Yes, I know. I'm going to talk with them, all right? Keep me posted on any other…expenses…we've racked up. I'm really sorry about this, Nell."  
"It's all right, I guess…. I know Max can cause lots of trouble when he puts his mind to it. I should know, I am his boyfriend."  
"Yeah, yeah, I know. Anyways, see ya Nell."  
"Bye."  
Sami sighed. Who had been using the phone? And more importantly, why had they been calling other territories? 'They were probably just making prank calls…I wouldn't be surprised, knowing them. She was glad the day was almost over. "I need chocolate…"  
  
_A/N: An unusually humorous chapter, compared to what's in store..._  



	2. Chapter 2

_**Advance Wars Endgame**  
Chapter 2  
**By RocketDarkness**  
_   
"…And in other news, Blue Moon has launched a sudden offensive strike against Green Earth. Reasons for this are unknown as of yet, but we'll keep you updated on the breaking news."   
"Why…why is Blue Moon being so greedy? I thought they would simply try and get on with their lives, but Olaf is apparently greedy for more land…." Andy sighed, putting his head down on the plush blue pillow on the edge of one of the living room couches. Last time he had to go toe-to-toe against Olaf, he had barely become a CO. Back then he was so naïve. Well, more naïve than he was now, at least. "I wonder if Max knows…?"  
"Knows what, Andy?" Andy jumped up quickly.   
"Sami, you scared me!"  
"Heh, sorry Andy." She grinned. "But, what were you wondering if Max knew?" He pointed to the TV.  
"Currently, the fight has broken out on an island off the west coast of Green Earth, where only a few years ago the madman Sturm fought an epic battle against the combined forces of Orange Star, Blue Moon, Green Earth, and Yellow Comet." Sami paled.   
"Quick, Andy, find Max and meet me in the garage! We have to get to the capital and find out what's going on!" She shoved Andy towards the hallway and ran downstairs to start up the car. "I hope he's ok…"  
  
Sami banged her hand against the armrest in frustration. There had never been a worse time for traffic, in her eyes. Leaning back, she closed her eyes for a second. She was still trying to block out the trip, and wasn't having much luck. The phone bill was still biting at the back of her mind, always popping up at the most inopportune moments simply to distract her. She decided that finding out would put it to rest.  
"Hey, Max?"  
"Yeah, Sami?"  
"Nell called yesterday, and—"  
"Nell? How is she? I forgot to call her yesterday, I was tired from the trip back home…"  
"She didn't take the trashing of the cabin lightly."  
"Oh."  
"By the way, what were you using the phone for when we were up there?"  
Max froze, and his eyes shrunk to slits. "You were eavesdropping? What did you hear?"  
"Nothing. Nell just said that we had one hell of a phone bill on our hands."   
Max let his composure go. "All right, just checking. We were just calling some old friends. That's all. We forgot how far up in the mountains we were, so the phone bill must have cost a lot."  
"I'll say."  
"Sami?" It was Andy.  
"Yeah?"  
"Pay attention to the road, people are passing us on the sides."  
  
When Sami arrived, Nell was busy studying numerous important-looking papers. She had run through the HQ, and accidentally knocked over a few technicians. "Nell, can you tell me the latest news?" Sami said, worried.  
"I'm studying some reports from the field, and it's not pretty. Olaf took Drake completely by surprise, but thankfully, the battle's over. Also—"  
"Hey, Nell! How are you?" Max shouted, having finally caught up to Sami. He put his hands on his knees, taking deep breaths. Andy walked up shortly afterwards and started patting Max on the back.  
"I'm fine, Max, but you shouldn't be worried about me. There's more important matters at hand. And Sami, Olaf retreated, although field reports say that the battle was pretty evenly matched. We're not sure why he pulled out, though. If Olaf was persistent enough to attack them in the first place, I would think he'd try to finish the battle."  
"That's great! What about Yellow Comet and us? What are the standpoints?"   
"We've currently promised reinforcements if Blue Moon decides to attack Green Earth directly. That island is not Green Earth property, not yet."   
"And Yellow Comet?"  
"I don't know yet, I haven't received any broadcasts concerning them." Sami grabbed one of the nearby chairs, and sat down in it backwards. Putting her chin to the headrest, she sighed.   
"Hey, Andy and I are going back to the lobby to watch the news and get something from the vending machine."  
"Alright, Max, goodbye." Nell waved goodbye as they went back down the hallway, discussing what was happening. "They're gone, Sami. You seem depressed, what's bothering you?"  
"I'm just worried…I had hoped that the peace we had forged from the last war would last…plus…"  
"Yes?"  
Sami bit her lip gently. "I'm a little worried about Eagle. I haven't talked to him in a long time. Who knows what he's been up to?"  
Nell shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine. Anyways, you want to look at these reports? Knowing you, you'll be able to make use of this knowledge. Beats me, I used to serve under him, and I still can't figure out what that old man is up to this time. I just hope _someone _can…"  
  
  
_A/N: Now it's getting more serious. Well, what do you think? E-mail me at rocketdarkness@yahoo.com, or talk to me on AIM as—you guessed it—RocketDarkness. Criticism welcome, just no blatant flaming!  
_  



	3. Chapter 3

**_Advance Wars: Endgame  
_**_Chapter 3_**_  
By RocketDarkness  
_**   
Sami glanced at her watch. 10:30 P.M. She rubbed her eyes, yawning. Getting up, she walked over to the water dispenser in the corner of her modest-sized office. She grabbed a small paper cup off of the top, and placed it underneath the dispenser. Pulling on the tab, she continued to rack her brain as the cup slowly filled up. She had looked at every single reconnaissance and spy report, and yet, still no luck. There was no logical reason as to why Blue Moon would ever dare to attack Green Earth. She let go of the tab, and lifted the small cup to her mouth, savoring the cool water running over her dry and cracked lips. She hadn't realized how long she had been here. She threw the cup at the trashcan, missing and causing it to land on the dark green carpet. Ignoring it, she went back to her desk. As she turned her back, Nell called.  
"Sami? Are you still here?" Nell stuck her head through the door, peeking in and taking a quick look around the room. "Sami, it's late. You should get some sleep…"  
"You're right. I still can't figure it out though. Perhaps he's simply gone mad. I wouldn't be surprised…"  
"Neither would I, Sami. Neither would I."  
Sami reached out and turned off the small lamp on her desk. Following Nell out the room, she closed the door and continued down the hallway of the Orange Star headquarters. "Damn…I forgot the keys to the apartment. You go ahead, Nell, I'll meet you downstairs." Without waiting for a response, she turned around and jogged lightly back to her office. She grabbed the keys off of the desk, and turned around to go back out the door. And that was when all hell broke loose.  
Explosions rocked the building, causing Sami to fall down onto the ground with a loud thud. Screams were heard from far below, and the sound of bullets and glass shattering instantly shook Sami back into reality. The headquarters was being captured! She pushed herself up on her hands, and ran to one of the cabinets in her office. Pulling open the doors, she reached in and grabbed her M249. More gunfire was heard, and screams echoed down the halls. She smiled grimly. Those screams didn't belong to Orange Star soldiers.   
Running down the hallway, she pushed open the door to the emergency stairwell and hit the stairs at full speed. The radio on her belt crackled with loud static. Then came Max's voice. "Sami! Sami, are you there? Come in!"   
"I'm here, Max! What's the situation?"  
"Blue Moon troops are everywhere! Those bastards launched a surprise attack!"  
"I figured as much! How are you and Andy?"  
"We're fine, for now! Troops from the nearby bases are coming as we speak!"  
"Is Nell down there? I said I'd meet her, but that was before the attack!"  
"Yes, she is! She ran off to sound the alarm, but I'm sure she's fine!"  
"Just hold them off, you guys, I'm coming!" She was almost to the first floor. Ten stories. Nine. Eight. A whistling noise was heard. Seven. Rockets came tearing through the wall of the sixth story stairwell, causing Sami to grab onto the safety rail in reaction. The entire staircase began to shudder. The stairs from fifth and below collapsed to the ground, causing dust and rubble to go everywhere. The staircase shuddered again. Suddenly, with a sickening groan, the staircase began to detach from the wall. Hugging the handrail with both hands, she held on tightly as the staircase plummeted. Rails creaked as they were imbedded into the wall, slowing the descent to a hellishly frightening, albeit slow, descent. Concrete was ripped from the walls around her, falling down around her. Sami shook her head to dislodge some of the dust, only to have just as much fall down to replace it.   
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the stairwell hit the rubble with a loud thud. Sami looked around, dazed. Coughing, she made her way to the door and realized the knob had been obliterated from the falling debris, as was most of the door. She kicked it open, and looked around warily. Bullet holes lined the walls in a disgusting parody of a child trying feebly to connect the dots. Dead bodies littered the floor, both Orange Star and Blue Moon. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught movement. She quickly pulled back into the stairwell, and peeked out cautiously. She scanned the area, and found the source of the movement. An Orange Star soldier, wounded but not yet dead. She ran to his side, concerned. One of Andy's troops.   
"Soldier, where are you injured?"  
"Can't tell…my body is numb…" He gasped, and coughed up blood onto the floor.   
"Can you tell me where Max or Andy is?"   
"Down…down this hallway, I believe." He coughed again, and Sami got up to leave. But she couldn't. Crouching back down, she held the dying man's hand until he finally coughed one last time. Touching his forehead, she closed his eyes with her hands gently. She slowly rose to her feet, and ran down the dark hallway. Almost there. The sound of tank fire came from outside, and what sounded like transport choppers could also be heard.   
Sami rounded the corner, and was relieved to see Max and Andy safe behind some overturned file cabinets and tables. Dust covered them, but they paid it no heed. Along with them, there were Orange Star troops periodically firing over the barricade at the enemy troops.   
"You guys holding out?" She shouted over the noise.   
"Thank god you're all right, Sami!" Andy shouted. He pushed his dusty hair back from over his eyes.  
"I think the majority of the enemy troops are gone! We're gonna try and push them out of the building in one big push!" Max shouted to both Sami and his soldiers.   
"Should I call my troops?" Sami said, finally next to Max and Andy.  
"No, there's not enough time! Let's go!" Max signaled to Andy, Sami and his troops, and then jumped over the barricade. Opening fire, the Orange Star platoon quickly eliminated the majority of the Blue Moon troops, sending them scattering like scared mice. Blue Moon troops, dead and dying, were ignored as they charged around the corner. There, the entryway was littered with broken glass from the shattered glass doors, and spotlights were shining in from outside. Sami gasped, seeing Blue Moon transport choppers deploying their next wave of troops. The familiar sound of rockets being launched was heard, and the battalion quickly ran back into the hallway, moments before the rockets blasted a large hole in the entrance, causing parts of the doorways to crumble and fall.   
"I'm calling for backup!" Sami shouted. "My transport choppers are the best chance we have to get them here quickly!"  
"No!" Max yelled back, twisting his eyebrows into a furrow. "Don't!"   
"Why not?!" Sami shouted back.   
"They still won't make it in time, Sami!" Andy said. "Besides, it's too late!"  
However, their pleas were in vain. She was already on the radio. "Troops! Move out, and get to the airports! Transport choppers will be waiting for you! C'mon, double time!"   
  
_A/N: Like it? Hate it? Let me know, email me at rocketdarkness@yahoo.com, AIM me at rocketdarkness, or talk to me on the AWN message boards! Thanks for taking your time to read this!  
_  



	4. Chapter 4

**_Advance Wars: Endgame  
_**_Chapter 4_**_  
By RocketDarkness  
_**   
The forest was dark and eerie. Somewhere in the deep forest, the hoots of owls were heard. They seemed to echo, giving the area a spookily peaceful atmosphere. A lone soldier sat on the ground, on the outskirts of his current base, staring up at the stars. His blue eyes squinted, concentrating. Some of them bright, some of them barely visible. However, they were all beautiful out in the forest, away from the cities. One was particularly bright, and he stared at it with an intense gaze. He blinked his eyes. Did it…move? Continuing to watch, he realized it did move…and it was getting larger.   
Suddenly, a speaker from behind him crackled on. The familiar voice of Sami, their commanding officer, came on. "Troops! Move out, and get to the airports! Transport choppers will be waiting for you! C'mon, double time!" In the background, the word "damn" was also heard. The base immediately came alive, lights turning on in all the buildings with alarms sounding, and he could make out silhouettes of his fellow soldiers scurrying about their barracks, quickly grabbing their gear. Having been on guard, he quickly ran to the airport up the dirt path. His feet threw up small clouds of dust. He knew the transport choppers were already there; he had seen the "star" lowering as it was roughly above the airport.   
  
"Damn what?" Sami questioned to Max, glaring.   
"Nothing, my gun just needed to be reloaded."  
"You get frustrated over the weirdest things…" Sami said, sighing. Some of Max's troops laughed heartily, poking fun at him. Their fun came to an abrupt halt when they heard footsteps in the hallways. More Blue Moon troops, most likely. Preparing her M249, she put it down on its stand on the dusty file cabinet barricade and aimed it towards the entryway. The other troops followed suit, preparing their weapons to fire. Suddenly, the footsteps stopped. The sound of bazookas firing came from outside, and the footsteps receded quickly. Sami was the first to jump back into the hallway to watch the spectacle. Her troops, being dropped behind the enemy lines, had launched a surprise attack on the rockets and tanks! Smiling, she jumped out and let the bullets fly, sending a spray of deep red film over the walls. The screams echoed down the hallways, causing Sami to shudder involuntarily. Despite her training, seeing death was still not pleasant. She shouted to Max and Andy to help her troops, and dashed outside.   
The cold night air hit her face sharply, and she gasped quietly at the briskly cold night. Surveying the scene, she began to open fire on the enemy troops again. It seemed her superior mechanized infantry were able to crush the majority of Blue Moon's forces, and were simply cleaning up the scattered infantry and tank divisions one by one.   
"Odd…" she said to herself. There were no medium tanks to be seen. She squinted into the forest. Nothing. All she could see was the inky black darkness encompassing all. "Damn fog…" she muttered.  
Something moved, and she heard a branch snap. A raccoon, perhaps? Lifting her weapon to her hands, she slowly advanced towards the encompassing darkness. Squinting, she suddenly realized the immense threat of the dark forest. She dived just in time to avoid a barrage of artillery fire. They had a backup platoon hidden in the forests! Headlights poured out from their hiding places, and the sickening sound of medium tank treads rolling across the dense foliage of the forest seemed like it came from all around.   
"Troops! We're not done yet!" Her troops, having already gotten on their bellies, were crawling across the ground. She ran back into the devastated headquarters, her M249 being near useless against medium-class armor. Running to a concealed cabinet in the main office, she quickly grabber a modified bazooka, able to fire a deadly rocket instead of the standard bazooka ammo. These rockets were even stronger than standard rocket truck ammunition, because of the sole fact that these were launched at much higher velocity, and did not have to travel upwards first. She threw her M249 onto the reception desk, and it clattered noisily to the ground. Grabbing an ammo belt and strapping it across her shoulder, she dashed back outside with the deadly weapon in her hands. The medium tanks were to the left of the entrance, paused, looking for a target. However, her superiorly trained infantry and mechs were nearly invisible, even to herself. Hefting the rocket launcher onto her shoulder, she took aim at the lead medium tank. Getting to one knee, she launched the deadly rocket straight into the cannon of the tank. With a huge explosion, the cannon blasted apart from the main chassis, sending debris flying into the sky. The tank, however, suddenly imploded into itself, crumbling into a pile of scrap metal. Enemy tank commanders were forced to close their hatches to avoid being slaughtered by falling debris. This was when they were most vulnerable. "Attack!"  
With a war cry, her platoon rose from the ground and fired their first rounds. Bazooka fire flew towards enemy tanks with a loud whistling sound, causing the armor to be blown apart in spots. Tank debris was flying everywhere, raining down as a deadly hail to keep the unfortunate drivers sealed inside their metal coffins. Suddenly, one of her infantry on the far right let out a gasp, and crumpled to the ground, blood gushing out of a head wound and onto the wet grass. "What the hell?"   
Max, stepping out from the forest, smirked. "No hard feeling, Sami. Troops die all the time. See?" He fired his machine gun at another of her infantry, demonstrating his point. This time there was no sound except for the sound of dripping blood.   
"What has gotten into you, Max? Have you gone crazy?"  
"Hardly. You're the crazy one, Sami. Orange Star has so much untapped resources, it would be simple child's play to conquer the world. But no…we had to be the peacemakers, never the ones instigating the wars that shape the world. We were sitting on the sidelines, thwarting those who saw glorious visions of domination. During the harsh Blue Moon winters, I had—"   
"You're from Blue Moon!?" Sami gasped.  
" Of course. Don't you recognize my accent? Foolish child."  
"Where's Andy? You didn't kill him, did you?" Her resolve hardened.   
"Why would I kill such a supporting young boy?"  
"You…you corrupted him into following you!"  
"I showed him what the world could be like. Anyways, this talk is wasting my time. Troops attack!"   
His battalion of troops came out of the forest, and his infantry fired on the surprised Orange Star infantry. Sami reached behind her to pull out her M249 , but her stomach dropped as she realized she had left it inside. Orange Star infantry collapsed, bullets lodged into their dead carcasses. Blood coated their orange uniforms, turning them a disgustingly crimson color. The majority of her troops were slain from the first clips. Sami quickly turned and ran, horrified at the grotesque scene behind her. She dove back in the building as Max's troops began to open fire on her. She crawled behind the barricade, scared and frightened. Her troops were all dead. Her friends had abandoned her. Orange Star was about to be conquered by Blue Moon. She closed her eyes, biting back the tears. Her fate would be at the hands of those monsters. The whistling of rockets was suddenly everywhere. She quickly dove under the reception desk, hoping to at least survive as long as she possibly could. Glancing up at the bottom of the mahogany desk, she waited for impact. Sami closed her eyes, and bit her lip. But instead of the sound of rockets hitting concrete and glass, she heard explosions outside. She let out the breath she had been holding in. Had the rockets malfunctioned? Shouts from outside drifted inward, and Sami missed most of it. However, she caught a single word. This one word made her grin at its utterance.   
"RETREAT!"_  
  
A/N: Yep, chapter four is finally done! I don't know how good my action scenes are, seeing as how much of the focus is on Sami. How do you like the way it's developing? Bet I threw you for a loop with Max, didn't I? You can still contact me at all the same places, don't want to type that out in every author's note for each chapter.   
_  



	5. Chapter 5

**_Advance Wars: Endgame  
_**_Chapter 5_**_  
By RocketDarkness_  
  
Note: '___' signifies a thought.   
**   
Nell surveyed the battlegrounds with a saddened look. Troops everywhere were dead. Some of her own were even scattered here and there, creating a bizarre collage of death. She turned around; eyes closed, and began to sob. The Orange Star Headquarters was in disrepair. The entrance was merely rubble, and large sections of the walls were simply missing. The former glamour of the sheer size of the building was gone. In its place was a crumbling building, devoid of life and hope. She took her purple hat off, and held it in her hands gingerly.  
Finally, she couldn't take it. Nell broke down into a sobbing wreck, only interrupting her misery for quick breaths of air. How could Max possibly desert her like that? "We were even thinking…we were even thinking about an engagement…" She was sitting down now. Was she sitting down before? She didn't remember. She put her face in her hands, if not to simply confirm that it was not some horrible, awful nightmare.   
"Nell?" Nell jumped up and turned around, surprised. Sami stood there. Her hair was full of dust, she had various scratches on her arms and legs, but she was otherwise unharmed. She grinned crookedly.  
"Sami? You're alive?" She wiped away some of her tears with her sleeve.  
"Yeah…I managed to survive." She remained silent. Nell simply nodded, and silence overtook them.   
  
Drake turned off the small television, and slammed the remote down on the armrest of the CO Room couch, which was worn from years of use. The dark red fabric was faded, and stains could be seen all over. He put his fingers to his head, massaging his temples. This was the worst thing to happen to their continent yet, in his opinion. Although the previous war had many casualties, this was had barely started; yet Orange Star was brought to its knees already. Worse yet, Blue Moon was growing exceedingly dangerous, having both its standard COs, along with two new additions, both of which posed a threat on his own. Green Earth had already been hit by a surprise attack from Blue Moon, but luckily it was mostly at sea and it wasn't anywhere near their capital.   
Drake sighed. His old age was catching up to him. But now was no time for a rest. Blue Moon had to be stopped soon. He stood up slowly, and walked out of the room.   
  
Sami kicked backwards from the floor, tilting her executive chair up and allowing her feet access to the tabletop. She closed her eyes again, enjoying a brief moment of relaxation. "Sami!"  
She opened one eye, annoyed. Nell had returned from retrieving a document from the fax down the hall. Closing her eye again, she replied, "Yeah, I know. We have to discuss courses of action." She opened her eyes again, but left her feet on the glass table.   
"Now what?" This reply caused Sami to cough.   
"Huh?"  
"You heard me, now what?"  
"Um…I assumed you had an idea…" Sami was suddenly nervous. Nell always had an answer to everything.   
"Not this time." Nell smiled grimly.  
"I really don't know either. Orange Star has never had this kind of trouble, not even when I was a kid…although I don't remember too much, I was raised in Yellow Comet, after all."  
"Personally…I don't think Orange Star is going to exist much longer. All it would take is a quick conquest…and suddenly Blue Moon has all the resources it needs to take over the entire continent…" Nell shuddered, trying to force the idea out of her mind.   
"I've never heard you so negative, Nell." Sami was worried, now. If Nell was being negative, there was definitely something wrong.  
"I don't know…my entire life has fallen apart in the past few days."  
Sami had nothing to say to this comment. She knew it was true.  
  
"Great…it's raining." Olaf snorted in annoyance at his own observation. The quiet pitter-patter of rain on the windows was bad enough, seeing the rain was just plain excruciating. He drew the blinds shut, and returned to his personal red armchair. "Grit, give me a report!"  
"Of what?"  
"How about Orange Star's condition?"  
"Bad." Olaf rolled his eyes.  
"Anything more specific?"  
"Nope." Olaf sighed. While Grit may have been an excellent commanding officer, his attitude seemed too laid-back for Olaf's tastes.   
"Report back to me as soon as you get more information, then. I'll be in my office."  
"Sure thing." With that, Olaf walked out of the meeting room. Grit continued to puff on his cigarette absentmindedly. He opened the blinds back up, pulled down his old brown cowboy hat, and closed his eyes. Pulling out his signature revolver, he began to spin it on his pointer finger. "Thank God he's easily distracted." He thought about the time he found Olaf transfixed by a small dancing man that ran around the desktop of his computer. He smirked. Outside, the rain continued to tap lightly against the window.   
  
"Y'know, I think Eagle's right. The rain does follow me around." Drake shivered, pulling his dark-blue poncho over him tighter. He was standing at the back of one of his enhanced cruisers. More cruisers followed his, but he was unable to see them through the heavy rain. It even seemed as if his ride was deserted, but the crew was actually just at the front of the ship. The only way he knew he wasn't abandoned was the radio he carried with him. He stood silently, continuing to watch the rain fall. Drake appreciated rainy days. Something about them brought to him an air of peace and confidence. "When it rains, it seems like all is right with the world." He continued to think.   
"There's a first time for everything, I guess." With that remark, Drake pulled out his trusty spyglass. He looked for any sign of the three islands they were sailing towards. The rain only blurred the spyglass, making his vision worse than it already was. Giving up, he put the spyglass back into his vest pocket and went back into the cabin for some coffee. He opened the door, and was greeted with a blast of warm air. Drake threw the poncho into the corner of the orange cabin, and headed for the small pantry onboard the ship. However, despite his need for the dark warm substance, he decided to perform a quick status report.   
"Green Earth units this is your commanding officer, Drake. Report in." The radio crackled and buzzed with heavy static. 'The rain.'  
"Sir…vanguard A reporting in."  
"Vanguard B here."  
"Subs are ready. Just give the word."  
"Transports A-OK."  
"Battleship fleet on standby." That was everyone.   
"Continue with our present course. We should be seeing those islands any minute. That's where we're going to establish our base." Keep an eye out for any enemy naval units, and report any immediately." He put the radio onto the desk, and got out a bag of coffee beans. Drake carried them over to the small, portable bean grinder on the mahogany counter, and poured them into the grinder slowly. After he emptied the small bag, he threw it into the trashcan and turned on the machine. It sputtered and rattled, then the grinders turned on and the beans began to be broken apart, leaving a finely shredded pile of the prepared beans inside the small plastic cup.   
At that moment, the ship shuddered horribly, and Drake was thrown to the ground. He shook his head, clearing out the confusion. Standing up shakily, he looked around, but to no avail. It was pitch black. All he could hear was the pounding of raindrops upon the ceiling and windows. He paused for a second to listen peacefully. Snapping out of it, Drake moved slowly towards the windows, trying to use its light to make out anything of use. However, he could only make out shadows in the dark. The figures seemed distorted and eerie, causing him to shudder involuntarily. Suddenly, lighting flashed, and Drake was able to pinpoint the door before the light faded. Carefully stepping over the various falling objects in the room, he threw open the door and stepped outside.   
Drake immediately covered his ears, shocked by the sudden crescendo of noise. He leaned against the slick, wet walls that made up the outside of his cabin, and tried to concentrate on finding out was wrong. The wind howled, causing the rain to fall erratically, hitting Drake in the face and causing him to close his eyes for protection. He groped blindly, searching for the ladder rung. His hand caught onto it, and he pulled himself up the ladder slowly. He climbed slowly, making sure he kept his footing. 'Where is the rest of the crew?' He pulled himself onto the perilous walkway to the control room. The ship rocked violently, causing Drake to drop to one knee. He slid back and forth, but grabbed the rail to keep from going over. Lightning flashed again, illuminating the recreation room in the distance. Still no sign of the crew.   
'Where are they? They're normally on deck, unless they've got to man the anti-sub missiles or something—!'   
He gasped.   
  
_A/N: Sorry for the lack of updates, but I've been pretty busy. Between maintaining good grades, studying for two college level classes, having a social life, and playing Super Smash Brothers Melee and Golden Sun, I've got my work cut out for me. Anyway, how do you like it now? You know how to contact me, so let me know! Preferably, use the AWN Message Boards, though. It's just easier. _  
  



	6. Chapter 6

**_Advance Wars: Endgame  
Chapter 6_**_  
_**_By RocketDarkness  
_**   
Drake felt the ship shudder again, and this time he heard faint shouts from ahead. He continued to push forward, despite the harsh rain beating against his face and obscuring his view. A strong wind blew that moment, sending his captain's hat flying into the sky. Drake cursed at his luck, but made his way to the Control Room. As he shoved open the door, the few crewmen that were inside turned and gasped.   
"Captain Drake, we're under attack! A patrolling battalion of Blue Moon subs has engaged us!"  
"Well, they shouldn't be much of a problem for our cruisers now, should they?" Drake was miffed. 'I made my way here for a simple sub attack?'  
"Well, sir, it's not that simple. I think they're calling in an air strike." At this, Drake stopped. His first thought was to repeat what he had already said, but realized that with this attack he could easily send their entire plan up in flames. He thought for a second. 'Would it be worth the risk?' The crewmen waited quietly, allowing him time to decide.   
"Take out those subs, and then make haste for the closest neutral islands!" They had to set up a temporary command headquarters, if not to just avoid a quick rout via bombers. The man at the communications radio quickly repeated the command to the rest of the navy. His own subs were able to launch a surprise attack on Blue Moon's, making quick work of the poorly trained units. "Must have belonged to CO Grit, seeing as how badly they fought," Drake commented, to no one in particular. He glanced out the window, and decided to stay in the control room. Having his cabin far away from the rest of the crew was a bad idea, in retrospect. He shrugged. Live and learn. He sat down, and listened to the rain pounding on the windows, and the wind howling as it tried to enter, but to no avail. Looking through the window, he watched the remote, tropical islands directly in front of him grow larger.   
--  
An hour later, and it was still raining. Drake reached to push his cap out of his eyes. However, he found only hair. Cursing, he pushed his messy hair out of his eyes. Despite his age, he still had a full head of hair. 'Mixed blessing, I suppose.' He looked out the window, and down into the rough whitecaps. They slammed against the hull in a seeming hatred of the intruding ships. The water continued its futile attempt to liberate itself. Although it wasn't able to cause any damage to the ships, it did make for a bumpy ride. Drake closed his eyes, and concentrated on the waves more. Suddenly, there was peace. He opened one eye, and realized they had sailed into the large alcove in the islands. The water was much calmer, almost serene in nature now. Up ahead the landers hit the rough shore, and opened their gates to allow the infantry access to the sandy beach. A few ran into the bushes, seasick. Most, however, were used to being on the water often, and began to scout the island. The cruisers and battleships simply dropped anchors, while the subs simply surfaced. He reached back into his jacket, but the pocket was empty.   
"I'll be right back, I left my telescope back in my cabin." With that, he left the room and headed down the walkway.   
--  
Four bright green numbers stared at Sami from the darkness. She squinted, trying to interpret what they said, and figure out what they meant. Suddenly, a soft beep emanated from the source of the numbers, and they changed. Only three numbers now. Sami turned away from the lit numbers, not wanting to concentrate on what they meant. Nothing could be done about it, anyways.   
--  
Nell sat in one of the chairs around the War Room desk, not moving. She breathed lightly, a nearly unnoticeable line of drool coming from her open mouth. Papers were scattered across the desk and floor, and a half-empty cup of now lukewarm coffee sat on the desk as well. This was the scene that greeted Sami as she walked through the doorway.   
"Didn't get any sleep either, Nell?" No response. Sami sat down in the chair on the other side of the table. She considered waking her up, but decided against it. The only place she could shed her burden was in her dreams, now. Before she used to simply spend time with Max, but now… Sami got up and left the room to get some more coffee beans for the machine. Nell had exhausted the supply attempting to stay up all night.   
She continued down the hallway, towards the small reception room for the War Room floor. No one was here, yet. Sami glanced at the calendar on the desk as she passed, and something caught her eye. A small note was circled in bright red ink, and she stepped in for a closer inspection. It read, "Speech; 10 A.M., Live broadcast." She looked down at her watch. 7:30 A.M.   
"Nell! Wake up!"   
--  
Nell glanced from behind the curtains, nervous. 'At least I'm not the President. He's going to be delivering the really bad news…' It was like a horrible sea of Sturms…the camera's protruding lens as that horrible nose. Nell shuddered, and forced it out of her mind. She had been able to nearly forget about all the pain and misery that war had caused, and with Max, she was able to keep it at bay. But now, with the state being at even more dire times now, they had come flooding back. She sat down, suddenly disoriented. Nell thought back to before even that war, to when Green Earth and Orange Star had been considered one. They had split up when before she was born, but they kept much of the government the same. Both had Presidents, they were the only countries that did. Blue Moon and Yellow Comet both were ruled by the military. In her opinion, transferring power from the military was the right thing to do. Until now, Orange Star and Green Earth were no longer concentrating on conquests; instead, the country was given the opportunity to prosper.   
Nell snapped back into reality. Listening, she realized the President was coming. She could distinctly hear aircrafts overhead. Upon closer concentration, she decided that she should be out there to greet the President as he landed. She stepped out from the curtains, and stepped down from the stage into the crowd of eager reporters and politicians. She tried to push through, but she only managed to wedge herself between a particularly large tripod camera and a small group of reporters who were trying vainly to get closer. Nell stood on her toes, if not to simply get a glimpse of the landing. The helicopters slowly descended, covering those who were able to get the best view in dust.   
She grinned at the irony as the news crews attempted to clean their camera's lenses in time to take suitable footage. The small helicopter came to a stop, and the door slid to the side, revealing two large bodyguards, who stepped to the side and pushed back the crowd, which was trying to get as close as they possibly could.   
Giving up all hope of seeing anything, Nell began to push her way out of the crowd, and back onstage. She sat down behind the curtains, and listened to the energy of the crowd. She was glad she didn't have to be in command of the entire nation; she could never stand up to so much pressure. Well, maybe if Max was there…she shook her head, clearing him out of her mind bitterly. Checking the mirror one last time, she realized how close she had been to sleeping through the event. 'Thank God for Sami…' Putting her head back, she stared at the wooden ceiling behind the curtains and concentrated on the sound of the fighters overhead, patrolling the sky like an invisible, untiring guardian.   
Shouts of excitement came from the crowd, and she peeked out of the curtains one last time to see what they were so riled up about. She saw nothing. Then, in the sky, she saw tiny specks of blue. 'Much too small to be actual units…' Suddenly, out of the clouds, a small squad of Blue Moon fighters blazed through the sky, following their already-launched Air-to-air missiles. As she heard the explosions go off in the sky, the memories of the first attack flooded back. Nell knew she had to get help, and Sami would be her best bet.   
But it was already too late. Blazing scraps of orange metal came plummeting from the sky, causing the tightly packed crowd to attempt to disperse. Unfortunately, gravity won the race. With another bone-wracking explosion, the once-fighters were driven into the ground, sending heat and shrapnel into the terrified crowd. Nell turned away, as the crowd was torn apart by flaming debris. Blood covered the ground, as thick as ketchup. However, the smell was unmistakable. Screams could be heard, desperate cries for help that would not be answered. Sobbing came from much of those alive, too weak to even believe in a sanctuary from the pain. It was then Nell realized that she too was screaming, and she clamped her hand over her mouth to stifle the horrible sounds that reminded her all-too-well of the death around her.   
_  
A/N: Thinking about it, I decided it would be too short if it stayed on the path I had originally chosen to reach Point A. After a good deal of thought and time away from the fic, I've decided on what else to add. I don't like this chapter too much, but if I can just get through this one section without losing too many of you readers, I think the eventual product will be much more satisfying. As always, comments are welcome, even flames. You know where to contact me.   
_  
  



	7. Chapter 7

**_Advance Wars: Endgame  
_**_Chapter 7_**_  
By RocketDarkness  
_**   
Nell turned from the ghastly scene, and ran for the parking lot. Maneuvering her way past large pieces of shrapnel, she made her way for the parking lot. It was at that time she heard an odd whistling. Was one of the injured trying to signal her? She turned around to see a bomber's cargo slam into the outdoor theater, sending a wave of heat outwards, throwing Nell off of her feet, and onto the ground. She rolled onto her stomach, and covered her head as granite bits rained upon her like hail. Pushing herself up, she did not turn around to see the wreckage. No one could have survived the explosions.   
Nell went through the small arc of shrubs and bushes that doubled as the parking lot entrance. When she reached the other side, she quickly stepped backwards into the shade of the bushes. Peeking out, she confirmed her fears. Blue Moon invasion force. It had begun. The beginning of the end of Orange Star.   
Nell reached into her suit, pulling out a small pistol. She never really needed it, but it was recommended that most commanding officers carry one in case out in the field. She cocked it, and then looked back out. Only infantry, for now. She had to find Sami first. Her specially trained mechanized infantry would be a great asset at holding off the first waves, and hopefully enough time for Nell to pull her troops from any bases spread throughout Orange Star. After all, what good was a strong army on the inside if your borders were slowly crumbling? Taking aim, she followed the man's chest as he walked through the rows of cars. Probably just a few looters, new recruits ditching their command post. She was about to pull the trigger, when suddenly the man shouted to his friends. They walked over from various directions. At a glance, she counted five. They walked towards a particularly nice car.   
Nell shook her head. They were petty looters. Oh well, they were still a threat alive. But how to kill them without retaliation was the problem. She smiled in realization, and then fired off a shot. Into the gas tank. A large fireball lit up the sky as the car exploded into flames. The men were thrown backwards, most crumpling to the ground, unconscious or dead. Nell didn't care, as long as they weren't awake. She ran past the flaming wreckage and charred bodies, and to her car. Unlocking the door, she quickly strapped herself in and turned the key. She had to find Sami, and fast. She hit the gas, and with squealing wheels, sped out of the parking lot and headed towards the air base.   
Leaving the parking lot, Nell realized that conditions were worse than she could have ever believed. Blue Moon infantry swarmed the city streets, and tanks and rocket launchers littered the open areas. Thankfully, her car was much faster than any slow weapon of war. Blue Moon soldiers gasped and pointed as she sped down the street, a fugitive in her own town.   
--  
Making an unusually sharp left turn in order to avoid a tank shell, Nell made it onto the path leading outside of the city and to the air base. The road quickly switched to dirt, and her abused car was unable to traverse the rocky terrain well. The constant up and down motion threw the tires off of the road, causing it to slip and slide as if on ice. Dust was being thrown up everywhere, covering the windshield in a light, brown haze. Exasperated, she stopped the car to let the dust settle. When the dust cleared, she found herself staring down the barrel of a tank.  
"Get out of the car, and put your hands up!" The Blue Moon soldier manning the controls shouted, in a thick Russian accent. Nell realized that she was caught, and there was no way out. Blushing a deep crimson, she put her hands up and stepped outside of the car. A loud thump resounded, and Nell was unconscious in the dirt road.   
--   
The first thing Nell saw when she woke up was the dirty metal ceiling of her confinement. Light streamed in from the barred window above her. Rubbing her eyes, she sat up. A soft whimpering came from the cell to her left. She had heard that sound before…after she had defeated Olaf's original invasion, and had been looking for…  
"Sami! Is that you?"  
"Nell?" Sami's voice was cracked and dry. Blue Moon apparently wasn't very hospitable.   
"What happened to you, Sami?"   
"Surprise missile bombardment. This entire air base was annihilated before our planes could even get off of the ground…" Her voice wavered, holding back all the emotion kept inside her.   
"Have they taken care of you…? You sound really bad."  
"No…" After hearing Sami's reply, Nell stood up and walked to the thick iron bars holding her away from freedom. She glanced in the direction of Sami's cell.   
"Sami?" No reply came.  
"Sami…? Sami?" Still no reply.   
"Sami!"   
At the sound of her voice, a squeaking sound emanated from down the hall. Footsteps came closer, and closer. Nell backed away from the door, just in case. The mysterious figure opened the door to Sami's cell, and she heard he or she put down several metal objects, as the clattered loudly on the floor as the touched.   
Nell put her ear to the wall, and heard various boxes and other items opening and closing, along with assorted loud noises. What was the stranger doing to her? She shouted out to the mysterious character, but received no reply. She continued to shout, but she soon dried her throat up and collapsed into a fit of coughing. The dust was so bad that she nearly passed out. Looking back up after recovering, she found a glass of water placed through the bars of her containment. She thankfully took the glass of water without question.   
Nell savored the cool, clean water as it flowed down her throat, purging the layer of dust that had built up from before. The cold feeling made her sigh in pleasure as she realized how incredibly thirsty she was. Coming back to reality, she heard more noises coming from the next cell. Thankful for the water, she remained quiet and simply listened to the sounds.   
Suddenly, she heard a quiet moan. "W…what happened…?"   
It was Sami! Nell smiled, and was about to shout out to her when Sami interrupted again.  
"Andy!?"  
  
_A/N: Long time, no see, eh? Sorry, busy with school and Sonic Adventure 2 Battle. So…addictive… _   
  



	8. Chapter 8

_Advance Wars: Endgame_  
_Chapter 8_  
_By RocketDarkness_  
  
Nell mouthed his name, unable to believe it. Andy? The same Andy that double-crossed them so recently? Hesitantly, she called out his name. The noise coming from the adjacent cell stopped. Nell listened, tense and dreading what might come next.   
"Yeah…it's me, Nell."   
The voice hit Nell at her very core. It couldn't be Andy…not the Andy she remembered. Young, exuberant, and perhaps a bit naïve; this foreign voice was none of these. Her mental image of a younger image was shattered. She looked to the bars of her cell, hoping desperately that she might see his face. His hardened face stared back at her, a slight smile at the edge of his mouth. His clothes now fit him much more comfortably, with blue pants and a similar jacket to the one he originally wore. The Blue Moon emblem was patched onto the right sleeve, marking his alliance. Nell smiled, noticing his hair hadn't changed a bit. "Hello, Andy."   
"You don't realize how much crap I had to go through to get you transferred to _this_ detainment center…"  
Her smile vanished. "What matter does it make where we're detained. We're still as good as dead."  
"I'm sure you'd much rather be under Olaf's control again…"  
"Point taken," she admitted. Andy unlocked her cell, and slid open the metal-barred door. He then reached into his back pocket, searching for something. After contorting his face into an expression of annoyance, he grinned and pulled out a sleek pistol. Bringing it around, he pointed the barrel at her. Nell stared down its barrel, holding her breath.  
"Oops. Sorry." He turned the gun sideways. "Take it."  
"What!?" Andy was simply offering her a gun, despite her POW status? There had to be a catch. Nevertheless, she took the gun firmly in her hands. He also handed her a small brown package.   
"There's a camera outside this cell. However, I 'generously' gave the watchmen a short break. So hurry up and knock me out, and get yourself and Sami out of here."   
"You want me to knock you out?"  
"Hey, you want it to look believable or not? Face it, I still have to look out for myself, and being a traitor to two nations is not a good way to protect myself."   
Nell hugged him tightly. "Thanks for everything. But before I go: why?"   
"Nell, Max is crazy. Up in the Alara Mountains, he told me all about his plans. I mean….what was I supposed to say? 'No, Max, I don't agree with you. I'm going to go tell Sami, that way you need to kill me!' Unfortunately, I don't want to die. However, there wasn't any way to tell you. He was keeping damn good watch on me. So, I went along with him. But let me get this straight with you now: I am on your side. Never forget that."  
"Thanks, Andy." She hugged him again, then rapped him on the skull with the butt of her gun. Opening the package, she found a skeleton key, along with a few maps and rounds for the gun.   
--  
Sami awoke who knows how long after. She found herself on top of a small cot. Propping herself up on her elbow, she found Nell looking out a small window.   
"Hey…where are we?'  
Her voice startled Nell, causing her to jump before she realized who it was. "You scared me, Sami. Don't do that."  
"Where are we? Did I just dream of being captured?"  
"No, unfortunately you didn't. Andy is on our side, Sami. He's why we're not dead yet."  
"I figured as much when he came in with a cute little nurse apron on and tried to fix me up."   
Nell laughed. "Well, at least we have a contact. This could help us lots when we need inside data."  
"Where are we?"  
"We're in a small room somewhere inside a ransacked Orange Star city. Didn't bother to check the sign, I just wanted to find some place to lie low for a bit."  
Sami twisted around, then put her feet on the ground and sighed. "God, I feel like crap." Every section of her body ached in one way or another. "How long have we been here?"  
Nell looked at her watch, then responded. "A few hours. We should be moving, now that you're awake again." Nell tossed Sami an extra pistol. "S'no automatic, but it'll do for now."  
--  
"ANDY! WHERE ARE YOU?" Max roared angrily. He waited for that annoying little voice to answer him, but it was in vain. "ANDY!" He scowled and went into the prison section of the compound. There he found the young boy breathing restlessly, a small bump swelling on the side of his head. The jail cells were empty. Max cursed under his breath, then roughly lifted him by his arms and shook him until his eyes began to open slowly.   
"Ow…did she really have to—oh, hi Max!"   
"What happened? It seems our VIPs have escaped," Max said coolly.   
"Yeah…sorry?"  
Max sighed, carefully repressing his growing rage. After quickly contemplating whether he could rip both of Andy's arms off at once, he put him down and stepped back. Max had realized how much it sucked to abandon Nell after he had just come so close to seeing her again. "I need a hug," he said to himself, ensuring that Andy did not hear. He did not need a hug from Andy. Nevertheless, something didn't feel right about this escape. Max decided he would put his finger on the problem later.   
--  
_A/N: Whaaaaaaaaaat? What's this!? Yeah, I thought it was dead too. And then I went and bought AW2 and got addicted again. So hopefully I'll be able to churn out at least a few more chapters at the very least, before I end up losing interest again. Of course, I'd probably get back into it when they inevitably release another Wars game. It's a vicious cycle, isn't it?_  
  



End file.
